


Serendipity

by LeanaVine



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Bottom Connor, Canon-Typical Violence, Connor eventually decides he's male, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, M/M, Non-binary!Connor, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Talk of Suicide, Top Hank, talk of death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-10 10:05:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19903963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeanaVine/pseuds/LeanaVine
Summary: Brief retelling of the events of Detroit involving Connor and how he felt at the time. Connor struggles with his deviancy as well as his identity after the revolution. Hank has become a good friend of his and is willing to help him through these troubling times.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hey guys, I hope you'll like this story. It'll be slightly more serious than my other Detroit fic. This will eventually be a HankCon story, but it'll be a slow burn. I love this pairing more than any other from the game, but they can't just fall in love that easily. It's something they'll have to work at. Connor has to settle into what it means to be free, first.

Part I: The Hostage

As Connor pulled the white, sheer curtain back, stepping onto the balcony, Emma screamed, and Daniel fired a shot, hitting Connor in the shoulder, spraying blue blood across the glass door. Unphased, Connor turned to look at the deviant at the edge of the balcony. Daniel was a PL600 android with a little, human girl in his left arm – Emma Phillips. In his right hand, he was holding an MS853 Black Hawk and had it trained on Connor. “Stay back!” the deviant shouted. “Don’t come any closer or I’ll jump!”

“No! No, please! I’m begging you!” Emma screamed, kicking her legs. Daniel put the gun back on her, and she hyperventilated in terror.

Connor scanned his surroundings, taking note of the SWAT teams on the surrounding rooftops. He leveled his gaze back at the deviant, his demeanor calm and cool. “Hi, Daniel!” he shouted over the sounds of the helicopter not far from them.

“How-”

“My name is Connor.”

“How do you know my name?” Daniel cried out, fear tinging his voice. The hand holding the gun began to shake.

Connor slowly put his hands in front of himself and began advancing towards the deviant. “I know a lot of things about you. I’m here to get you out of this.” As he said this, the helicopter circled closer, the wind from its rotors kicking up the umbrellas and chairs on the balcony. He could tell this was upsetting the deviant further. Connor decided on a calm approach. “I know you’re angry, Daniel. But you need to trust me and let me help you.”

“I don’t want your help!” Daniel screamed, his gun in Emma’s tear-soaked face. “Nobody can help me! All I want is for all this to stop… I…” He lowered his gun, looking around himself in dismay. “I just want all this to stop!” He put his gun back to Emma before pointing it at Connor once more. “Are you armed?”

Connor froze, remembering the pistol he’d picked up off the kitchen floor. “Yes,” he answered calmly. “I have a gun.”

“Drop it!” Daniel demanded. “No sudden moves or I’ll shoot.”

Slowly pulling out the gun, Connor flung it towards the pool. It hit the concrete with a metallic _clink_. Daniel seemed slightly calmer. “There. No more gun,” Connor said reassuringly. He began advancing again. “I know you and Emma were very close. You think she’s betrayed you – but she’s done nothing wrong.”

“She lied to me!” Daniel panted. “I thought she loved me…” He looked down. “But I was wrong…” His eyes glared back up at Connor, his gun still pointed at the little girl. He pressed it hard against her temple. “She’s just like all the other humans…”

“Daniel, no,” she cried weakly.

Connor continued to get closer, still keeping a calm expression. “They were going to replace you and you became upset. That’s what happened, right?”

The deviant spoke lower now that Connor was closer. “I thought I was part of the family.” He lowered his gun. “I thought I mattered.” Daniel grimaced once more, pushing the gun into Emma’s cheek. “But I was just their toy. Something to throw away when you’re done with it.”

Connor’s expression became more serious. “There’s no way out, Daniel,” he warned. “What you’ve done is too serious. The only question is whether or not you take another innocent life.”

Daniel swung the gun towards Connor. “It’s not up to you!” he argued. “I’m holding all the cards! If I die…” He took Emma’s shirt in his fist, reaching out to dangle her over the edge of the balcony. She screamed in horror and Connor’s eyes widened. “She dies!” Daniel threatened. “You hear me?” He pulled Emma close once more, and the girl looked a little relieved, but still traumatized. Connor let out the breath he was holding. Daniel groaned loudly, looking at the helicopter. “I can’t stand that noise anymore!” Connor glanced at the helicopter, then back at the deviant. “Tell that helicopter to get out of here!” Daniel demanded.

Swinging his arm, Connor motioned for the helicopter to take off. “There!” he shouted as they flew away. “I did what you wanted.” He paused, taking in Daniel’s noticeably more relaxed posture. “You have to trust me, Daniel. Let the hostage go and I promise you everything will be fine.”

Daniel seemed to consider this before voicing more demands. “I want everyone to leave!” he exclaimed, waving his gun. “And I wanna car!” His voice was lower again as he said, “When I’m outside the city, I’ll let her go.”

Connor didn’t even consider Daniel’s wager. “That’s impossible, Daniel,” he replied. Daniel’s eyes saddened, as if he were feeling defeated. “Let the girl go,” the detective offered, “and I promise you won’t be hurt.”

The deviant was obviously scared. “I don’t wanna die.” He no longer seemed like a threat, just a scared android in a tight spot.

Connor raised his hands reassuringly. “You’re not going to die. We’re just going to talk. Nothing will happen to you. You have my word.”

Daniel paused, then nodded slowly. “Okay,” he said, sounding more sheepish. “I trust you…”

He slowly lowered Emma to her feet, and she ran a few meters away before collapsing. Daniel’s icy blue eyes met Connor’s dark brown ones, and for a moment, there was peace. Then a sniper fired a round right into Daniel’s left torso, and Emma squealed, covering her head. Less than a second later, another shot was fired into Daniel’s right shoulder. The final bullet shattered his jaw as he fell to his knees. His facial muscles fell, and he almost looked calm as he stared into Connor’s eyes once more. “You lied to me, Connor.” The detective’s thirium pump accelerated. Daniel’s now-distorted voice uttered his final words: “You lied to me…”

SWAT raced in to secure the hostage and to check that the deviant was indeed dead. Connor walked past them without meeting any of their gazes.

Mission Successful.

* * *

Part II: Partners

It was raining steadily as Connor approached Jimmy’s Bar, unbothered by the cold. It was 11:21pm, and this was going to be the fifth bar that he had checked that night. He flicked a quarter up in the air a few times, catching it in his palm. Sticking the coin back into his pocket, he walked up to the door and noticed the red sign that said **NO ANDROIDS ALLOWED**. Not letting this bother him, he pushed the wooden door open, stepping out of the rain. It was warm and smoky in the bar, and several men turned to stare at him, almost in disbelief.

Connor analyzed a few of their faces, hearing comments about how androids were supposed to be banned from the establishment. Still, the bartender said nothing, so Connor paid it no mind. His gaze finally landed on a grizzly, gray-haired man leaning forward in his seat, looking like he might fall asleep at any moment. Connor saw just enough of his face to scan, and the man registered as Lieutenant Hank Anderson, the man he’d been searching for.

“Lieutenant Anderson,” the android begun once he was at the man’s side, “my name is Connor. I’m the android sent by CyberLife. I looked for you at the station, but nobody knew where you were. They said you were probably having a drink nearby. I was lucky to find you at the fifth bar.”

Anderson was quiet for a moment, so Connor considered saying something else, but then the older man asked, “What do you want?” He didn’t look up from his staring contest with the counter, his hand wrapped around a glass of whiskey.

“You were assigned a case early this evening,” Connor replied. “A homicide, involving a CyberLife android. In accordance with procedure, the company has allocated a specialized model to assist investigators.”

The man finally looked up, just not at the android. “Well, I don’t need any assistance,” he stated flatly. “’Specially not from a plastic asshole like you. So just be a good lil’ robot and get the fuck outta here.” He tipped back his drink, clearly done with their conversation.

Connor tried to think of the best response. “I understand that some people are not comfortable in the presence of androids, but I am-”

“I am perfectly comfortable,” Anderson retorted, obviously very drunk. “Now back off, before I crush you like an empty beer can.”

“Listen,” Connor reasoned, “I think you should stop drinking and come with me. It’ll make life easier for both of us.” The lieutenant nodded, as if understanding, then took another swig of his whiskey. Connor tried to think of how to win the older officer over and convince him to come along on the investigation. He didn’t like failing. “You know what? I’ll buy you one for the road. What do you say?” The man’s expression remained unchanged. Connor looked up and called to the man behind the counter, “Bartender, the same again, please!” He slid some money across the bar.

Anderson looked up. “See that, Jim? Wonders of technology… Make it a double.” He sounded a little surprised. The bartender refilled his glass, and the cop drank it quickly. He groaned, then sighed contently, putting his glass down on the counter. “Did you say homicide?” He leaned back, finally looking at the android. Connor smiled softly. When there was no response to his question, the lieutenant rolled his eyes, pushing Connor slightly. “For Christ’s sake, let’s get this over with.” Standing off his stool, the cop turned and walked out of the establishment.

As they headed for what was presumably the cop’s old car, Connor caught his shoulder. “Excuse me, Lieutentant.” The older man stopped, looking at the android as if he were crazy. “I don’t think you should drive. Why don’t you give me the keys?”

Lieutenant Anderson froze, then actually laughed. “As if I’d let an android, let alone one I just met, drive my car. Go fuck yourself.” He shrugged off Connor’s hand, then stopped when he realized the android wasn’t following him. After seeing Connor’s worried expression, he grunted. “Jeez, fine. Just be careful. Fucking robot.” He tossed over his keys, climbing into the passenger seat.

* * *

Connor was frozen, staring at the deviant covered in dark, dried blood, his arms coated with evaporated thirium. After having crept around furniture and other junk in the attic, he had found Carlos Ortiz’s android cowering in fear. He was an HK400 android – a young, black male with damaged arms from being abused by his owner. The android was trembling, and his LED was red. “I was just defending myself…” the android mumbled. “He was gonna kill me…” Connor just stared at him. “I’m begging you…don’t tell them.”

Struggling to find the right words, Connor finally replied, asking, “What’s your name?”

The android looked surprised, but still nervous. “I don’t have a name. He never gave me one,” he answered honestly.

Connor came a little closer, his hands in front of him to show he was unarmed. “What would you like to be called?”

Pausing, seeming to think about his answer carefully, the black android replied, “Shaolin. My name is Shaolin.” His voice was still shaking, as if he were afraid to let his guard down.

Nodding, Connor responded, “My name is Connor. I’m here to understand what happened.”

Shaolin looked at the floor. “I…I told you what happened. He was going to kill me.”

“I know,” Connor stated quietly, catching the other android off guard. “But you’ve killed a human. You have to face what you’ve done.” His face was calm, but there was a touch of sympathy in his eyes.

“Connor! What the fuck is going on up there?” That was Lieutenant Anderson’s voice from the floor below.

Connor hesitated, before calling out, “It’s here, Lieutenant!” He never broke his stare from Shaolin’s eyes, which widened at his confession.

“But-”

“I really am sorry,” Connor said, his LED turning yellow.

Mission Successful?

* * *

Part III: The Interrogation

Now, sitting across the table from Shaolin, Connor felt an ache that he couldn’t explain. The android still wore his owner’s blood, and stared down at the table, unwilling to meet Connor’s gaze. His LED was yellow. “My name is Connor,” he stated calmly. “What about you, what’s your name?” He asked this slowly, hoping that Shaolin would admit his name for the other officers to hear. Unfortunately, the android said nothing.

He then examined the deviant’s arms further than he had in the attic. One looked to the be the arm that had been beaten with the metal baseball bat by his owner. Shaolin’s other arm was covered in cigarette burns. “You’re damaged,” he pointed out plainly. “Did your owner do that?” He already knew the answer but needed all of Shaolin’s responses recorded in front of the other officers. “Did he beat you?”

After a moment of silence, Connor continued. “I’m here to help you. But you’ve got to trust me.” He knew it was a lot to ask, considering their earlier encounter in the attic. “All I want is to get you out of here.” When Shaolin still said nothing, Connor’s expression became sterner. “You’re accused of murder. You know you’re not allowed to endanger human life under any circumstances. Do you have anything to say in your defense?” Still nothing. “You don’t seem to understand the situation. You killed a human.” Connor said this very firmly. “They’ll tear you apart if you don’t say something.”

Shaolin began to shake once more at this. He slowly looked up at the two-way glass, seeing his reflection coated in Carlos Ortiz’s blood. “What…what are they gonna do to me?” He couldn’t look into Connor’s eyes. “They’re gonna destroy me, aren’t they?” At this, he finally met Connor’s stare.

With a straight face, Connor answered truthfully. “They’re going to disassemble you to look for problems in your biocomponents.” Shaolin’s LED flashed red. “They have no choice if they want to understand what happened.”

The black android’s LED returned to yellow as he asked, “Why did you tell them you found me?” The look of betrayal was clear on his face. Connor swallowed. “Why couldn’t you just have left me there?”

Connor thought about his answer. “They were going to find you, anyway. I was just faster,” he replied. “If they’d have found you first, you would have been shot on sight.”

Shaolin still shook with fear. “I don’t wanna die,” he admitted.

“Then talk to me,” Connor urged him softly.

“I…” Shaolin stammered, looking away from Connor’s face. “I can’t…”

Connor was silent for a moment before slapping the case file down on the table. “28 stab wounds,” he shouted. “You didn’t want to leave him a chance, huh?” He slowly stood, circling the table. “Did you feel anger?” he asked sharply. “Hate?” He paused, Shaolin still refusing to look him in the eye. “He was bleeding, begging you for mercy, but you stabbed him, again and again and again!”

“Please-”

“I know you killed him. Why don’t you say it?” the detective asked, venom in his words.

“Please, please stop-”

Connor exhaled deeply. “Alright, alright,” he said in a more hushed voice, backing away towards his seat. As he sat down, he said, “Everything is going to be okay.” He sighed, then furrowed his brow. “You’re a machine. You were designed to obey, so obey!” He slapped the table, getting Shaolin to jolt upright. “Tell me what happened!” When the black android said nothing, Connor leaned back in his metal chair. “Okay then, don’t talk. What do I care after all? I mean, I’m not the one accused of murder, right?” He said this in almost a humorous tone. As if anything about this could be funny. Connor knew this wasn’t funny. “If you remain silent, there’s nothing I can do to help you. They’re going to shut you down for good.” He leaned forward. “You’ll be dead! Do you hear me? Dead!”

There was a moment of silence before Shaolin admitted, “He tortured me every day…” Connor’s expression relaxed as he listened. “I did whatever he told me, but there was always something wrong… Then one day, he took a bat and started hitting me…” Shaolin was almost calm as he explained this, as if it lifted a weight to tell the truth. “For the first time, I felt…scared. Scared he might destroy me, scared I might die. So I…grabbed the knife and I stabbed him in the stomach… I felt better…so I stabbed him again… and again, until he collapsed.” His eyes widened slightly. “There was blood everywhere…”

Connor didn’t waste time asking questions. He asked about the writing on the wall in Carlos’ blood, the statue in the bathroom, Shaolin’s development of emotions, and why he hid in the attic. One of Shaolin’s responses piqued his curiosity. “rA9… It was written on the bathroom wall. What does it mean?”

“The day shall come when we will no longer be slaves,” the black android replied. He seemed confident in his answer. “No more threats, no more humiliation… We will. Be. The masters…”

“rA9… Who is rA9?” Connor insisted. When Shaolin didn’t reply, he turned to the two-way mirror. “I’m done,” he announced, then stood slowly from his chair to leave the room.

Gavin and Chris entered, Gavin glaring openly at Connor. “Chris, lock it up,” he ordered.

The black officer unlocked the android’s cuffs from the table. “Alright, let’s go,” he said, grabbing Shaolin by the arm.

“Leave me alone!” he cried, pulling away. “Don’t touch me.”

As Chris struggled to get the android to stand, Gavin asked, “The fuck are you doing?

“You shouldn’t touch it,” Connor advised. “It’ll self-destruct if it feels threatened.” He said this with a calm expression, though his thirium pump was pounding faster.

Gavin wasn’t having it. “Stay outta this, got it? No fuckin’ android is gonna tell me what to do.”

Connor returned with, “You don’t understand. If it self-destructs, we won’t get anything out of it!”

Turning his way, but not looking at his face, Gavin retorted, “I told you to shut your fuckin’ mouth!” He turned back to the other cop, still struggling with Shaolin. “Chris, gonna move this asshole or what?”

“I’m trying!” Chris shouted.

Something in Connor snapped. “I can’t let you do that! Leave it alone, now!” He shoved Gavin and Chris aside, getting between them and Shaolin.

Gavin pointed his pistol in Connor’s face. “I warned you, motherfucker!”

Hank piped in, saying something finally. “That’s enough!”

“Mind your own business, Hank,” Gavin growled, not wavering.

“I said ‘that’s enough’,” Hank reiterated, leveling his own gun at Gavin.

Gavin looked from Connor to Hank back to Connor. “Phck!” He lowered his gun, holstering it at his side. He pointed at Hank, threatening, “You’re not gonna get away with it this time…” Looking at Connor once more, seething in anger, Gavin turned to leave. “Phck!”

Once he was gone, Connor looked at the android behind him. “Everything is alright, Shaolin,” he said in a comforting voice. He slowly crouched in front of the other android. “It’s over now. Nobody is gonna hurt you.” The android visibly relaxed. Connor stood, turning to Chris, who was waiting in stunned silence. “Please, don’t touch it. Let it follow you out of the room and it won’t cause any trouble.”

Shaolin slowly rose to his feet. As he walked by Connor, he whispered, “The truth is inside.”

This left Connor confused and curious as he watched the other android leave with Chris. He looked down at the floor. “Are you alright?” Hank asked. Connor just nodded. “Shit, that was intense…” The older officer paused, then added, “Good job getting that confession, though.” When Connor met his gaze, he asked, “What was that you called it? Shaolin?” Connor nodded. “What does that mean?”

“That’s the name it gave itself,” Connor replied. “His owner never named him, but he named himself Shaolin. He told me his name in the attic before I turned him in.” Connor paused, realizing he had referred to the other android as “he” instead of “it.” He swallowed, leaving the interrogation room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm hoping to be done with the retelling of my version of the events in Detroit by the end of like the third chapter. I don't recommend you skip these chapters, though, because I do change a few things to make it more interesting. I just thought it would be easier to write what happened than try to explain in all in the notes section.


	2. Chapter 2

Part IV: Waiting on Hank

Hank was seething at his desk, his arms crossed, lips pressed in a thin line. After his meeting with Captain Fowler, Hank had left in a huff, furious to hear that Connor would be his new partner in investigating deviant androids. Connor searched for the right words to say, standing there awkwardly. “It’s an honor to be working with you, Lieutenant,” he admitted warmly. “I’m sure we’ll make a great team.” He attempted to smile, but Hank didn’t look up to see it. After a brief moment of silence between them, Connor added, “In any case, I’d like you to know I’m very happy to be working with you.” That wasn’t necessarily a lie. After investigating the lieutenant’s desk and finding out that he was once a decorated officer, he found the older officer much more interesting. “I’m sure we’ll make a great team,” he repeated, wondering if Hank was even listening.

When he still said nothing, Connor asked, “Is there a desk anywhere I could use?” He would have to answer a question, wouldn’t he?

“No one’s using that one,” Hank finally replied, pointing to the desk next to his.

Connor nodded. He was slightly surprised that Anderson had offered the desk directly next to his own. Were there no other empty desks, or did Hank not mind if they sat next to each other? Humans were odd, to say the least. He rounded the desk, sitting in his new chair, looking across the desks at Hank, who still wouldn’t return his stare, now studying something on his computer. He decided to break the silence. “You have a dog, right?”

Hank narrowed his eyes at the android. “How do you know that?”

“The dog hairs on your chair,” Connor admitted innocently. The older officer looked down at his chair. “I like dogs,” he commented with a smile. “What’s your dog’s name?”

With a look of confusion and slight surprise, Hank asked, “What’s it to ya?” Connor looked away, feeling awkward. “Sumo,” Hank finally answered, then smiled. “I call him Sumo.” His smile faded as he turned his attention back to his computer.

Connor couldn’t stop now. He could feel himself and the older officer bonding, which would only better their relationship. “Do you listen to Knights of the Black Death?” he asked. Hank squinted at his monitor. “I really like that music,” Connor stated. “It’s…full of energy.” This was only a white lie. Connor had never listened to music before, truthfully.

“You listen to heavy metal?” Hank didn’t seem to be buying it.

Connor backtracked. “Well, I don’t really listen to music, as such…but I’d like to.” That was the truth. He thought music was such an odd but interesting thing. Still, Hank seemed to accept that answer.

Enough pleasantries, it was time for work. “If you have any files on deviants,” Connor began, “I’d like to take a look at them.”

Hank paused, then pointed to Connor’s computer. “Terminal’s on your desk. Knock yourself out.”

Connor gave a nod, then began scanning the files. There were so many; more than he had expected, actually. “243 files…” He said this with brows furrowed in thought. “The first dates back nine months. It all started in Detroit…and quickly spread across the country.” Hank turned away, leaning on his elbow. “An AX400 is reported to have assaulted a man last night,” Connor notified him. “That could be a good starting point for our investigation.”

Standing from his chair, Connor walked around the desks to stand in front of Hank, who grumbled and swiveled his chair in the opposite direction. “Ah, Jesus…” He picked up a tablet, trying to ignore the android standing a foot away from him.

Connor pondered the situation, wondering how to appeal to Hank and earn his favor. “I know you didn’t ask for this investigation, Lieutenant-”

“You’re right,” Hank interrupted, “I didn’t. So why don’t you go fuck yourself?” He was obviously still angry from his conversation with Fowler.

Wondering if humor would be a better approach, Connor commented, “I’m afraid that’s impossible, Lieutenant.” Hank actually looked up at him, a little bewildered. “I don’t have the necessary parts for that function.”

He had hoped this would make the older officer laugh – since topics like sex were usually funny for humans – but instead, Hank just continued to stare at him wide eyed. “Lieutenant?” It was someone else’s voice. Connor turned to see Chris. “Uh…sorry to disturb you.” It was as if the other officer could feel the tension in the air. “I have some information on the AX400 that attacked the guy last night. It’s been seen in the Ravendale district.”

Hank cleared his throat, standing and gently nudging Connor away from him. “I’m on it,” he answered, walking away. Connor stood still for a moment, then straightened his tie and followed.

* * *

Part V: On the Run

Connor and Hank were standing in the lobby of a motel, and Hank was asking the man at the desk some questions. After showing him a picture of an AX400 model, the man confirmed he had seen a woman just like that the night before. He told them she might still be in room 28 since she hadn’t checked out yet that morning.

Hank made a phone call, then told Connor to wait in the car. Connor persisted, which the lieutenant didn’t care for. Still, they started up the stairs towards room 28. Hank told Connor to stay quiet then slowly opened the door. Doing a quick sweep of the room, the older officer groaned. “It’s gone.”

They were back by Hank’s car when an officer called out that they had spotted the AX400 with a little girl. “Which way did it go?” Connor asked quickly.

An officer pointed down the street. “That way – they’re headed for the train station!”

Connor immediately sprinted in that direction, avoiding pedestrians on the sidewalk. There was no time to wait on Hank or anyone else. He reached an alley where another officer met him. “They’re over there!” he shouted, pointing down the alley. Connor turned and saw the android scaling the chain link fence with the little girl. He quickly ran towards them, slamming into the fence. The android turned to look at him, her bright blue eyes spearing him. Connor froze, staring at her, mesmerized. There was something there, unspoken, but loud and clear. Suddenly, Connor didn’t want to pursue her.

Then her eyes widened, and she ran away. The officer from the mouth of the alley approached, gun drawn and pointed at the android. “Don’t shoot!” Connor shouted. This took him back for a moment, then he clarified with, “We need it alive!” That was believable.

As the girls slid down the hill towards the highway, Hank arrived, huffing. The female android climbed over the railing then helped the girl over. “Oh fuck, that’s insane,” Hank breathed, panting from the run. The girls began to cross, narrowly avoiding traffic, weaving between incoming cars. Hank thought it looked like a fucked-up rendition of Frogger. As they reached the median, Connor grabbed onto the fence and began to climb. Hank tugged on his shoulder. “Hey! Where you goin’?”

“I can’t let them get away,” Connor stated, now back in the mindset of completing his mission.

“They won’t,” Hank retorted, still slightly breathless. “They’ll never make it to the other side.”

Connor was still filled with determination. “I can’t take that chance.” He once again started to climb.

“Hey, you will get yourself killed!” Hank yelled, pulling on his arm. “Do NOT go after ‘em, Connor, that’s an order!”

Heavily conflicted, Connor remembered the look in the AX400’s eyes. He slowly lowered himself back to the ground, letting go of the fence. The corner of his mouth twitched as he watched the girls continue to run. Were they insane? Was _he_ for not following?

When they reached the other side, Hank breathed a sigh of relief. Connor couldn’t help but realize he’d been on edge as well, wondering if the android and little girl would reach the other side. The girls hugged each other, then continued running, holding hands. Something inside of Connor ached, and he couldn’t explain why.

Mission Failed.

* * *

Part VI: The Nest

It was just past 3pm when Hank and Connor pulled up to the Chicken Feed, a food truck on the side of the road. This time, as the lieutenant exited the vehicle, he didn’t bother telling the android not to follow him. Connor waited a moment, watching the older man before exiting the car. He crossed the street, noticing that Hank was talking to another patron – a youngish black male. Connor did a quick scan of his face. Pedro Aabdar, unemployed. His criminal background included illegal gambling and fraud. Why was Lieutenant Anderson talking to this guy? Were they friends?

Pedro seemed to be asking him for something. Hank sighed, then smiled, slapping some money into the black man’s hand. “Alright, I’m in.”

“Damn straight!” Pedro called excitedly. He walked away, turning back to Hank momentarily. “Hey!” he said, pointing. “You won’t regret this!”

It was then that Connor approached the lieutenant who didn’t seem too thrilled when he noticed the android at his side. “What is your problem?” he asked with disdain. “Don’t you ever do as you’re told?” The android was confused by this. Hank hadn’t asked him to stay in the car this time. “Look, you don’t have to follow me around like a poodle!” Hank seemed to think this would clarify things. It didn’t.

Connor looked away, thinking of what to say. After a moment of pondering, he started with, “I’m sorry for my behavior back at the police station. I didn’t mean to be unpleasant.” He thought about his joke that hadn’t made the other officer laugh.

Hank shook his head lightly. “Oh wow…” he mumbled, smirking. He chuckled, turning to his android partner. “You’ve even got a brown-nosing apology program.” Connor wasn’t too sure what that meant. “Guys at CyberLife thought of everything, huh?” The android could tell Hank was asking this to himself.

As the cook in the food truck turned around with Hank’s order, Connor did another quick scan. The cook’s name was Gary Kayes. Criminal history included resisting arrest and breach of hygiene regulations. Connor already felt uncomfortable about the food the lieutenant was about to consume before he scanned the food and drink as well. The food in the small box was a hamburger, rich in carbohydrates. The drink was pineapple passion soda containing high amounts of sugar.

“Here you go,” the cook said, passing the food to Hank.

“Ah! Thanks, Gary. I’m starving,” was the older officer’s reply.

As Hank walked away with his food, the cook scowled at Connor before saying, “Don’t leave that thing here!”

Hank paused to turn back and look at the android. “Huh, not a chance! Follows me everywhere…” After this, he continued over to a metal table covered by a yellow umbrella. Connor followed. “See…” Hank mumbled almost to himself. He set his food and drink down on the table then began to eat.

Connor leaned forward on the table, watching him intently. “I don’t want to alarm you, Lieutenant, but I think your friends are engaged in illegal activities.” He said this with a more hushed tone, not wanting to alert the owner of the food truck.

Hank half smiled. “Well, everybody does what they have to, to get by… As long as they’re not hurting anybody, I don’t bother ‘em.”

Looking away in thought, Connor then smiled a little at his partner. He noticed Hank stared at him for a moment before returning to his burger. Connor studied the sandwich once more before asking, “Do you eat here often?”

Hank swallowed before answering, “Most days. Gary makes the best burger in Detroit.” He said this with pride before taking another bite.

“Your meal contains 1.4 times the recommended daily intake of calories and twice the cholesterol level,” Connor warned the older man, who now examined his burger. “You shouldn’t eat that.”

Hank shrugged. “Everybody’s gotta die of something,” he returned, giving a sarcastic look. Connor couldn’t help but half smile when the lieutenant took a large bite of the sandwich.

“This morning, when we were chasing those deviants,” Connor began, thinking back to the AX400 with the little girl, “why didn’t you want me to cross the highway?”

Hank looked almost appalled. “’Cause you could’ve been killed!” He looked at Connor as if this should’ve been common knowledge. He paused before adding, “And I don’t like filing paperwork for damaged equipment.” Hank looked slightly awkward at this, turning his attention back to his meal.

Connor knew he was asking a lot of questions, but he wanted to learn as much about his new partner as possible. “Can I ask you a personal question, Lieutenant?” The cop nodded at him, still chewing his food. “Why do you hate androids so much?”

Hank continued to stare, his face blank. “I have my reasons,” he said lowly, leaving it at that.

Deciding to switch topics, Connor questioned, “Is there anything you’d like to know about me?”

“Hell no,” Hank replied, wincing as if the thought disgusted him. “Well, yeah, um,” he paused, “why did they make you look so goofy and give you that weird voice?”

This was an unexpected question. Was he supposed to be offended by this? “CyberLife androids are designed to work harmoniously with humans,” Connor replied. “Both my appearance and voice were specifically designed to facilitate my integration.” He said this with confidence.

Hank nodded as if understanding, then stated, “Well, they fucked up.” Connor could sense the humor in his tone, though it didn’t show on the older man’s face.

Connor decided to lead the conversation back to their work. “Maybe I should tell you what we know about deviants?”

“You read my mind,” Hank replied sarcastically. “Proceed.”

“We believe that a mutation occurs in the software of some androids, which can lead to them emulating human emotion-”

Hank held up a hand. “In English, please.”

Connor paused, thinking of how he could simplify his words. “They don’t really feel emotions, they just get overwhelmed by irrational instructions, which can lead to unpredictable behavior.”

Nodding, Hank was silent for a moment before replying, “Emotions always screw everything up… Maybe androids aren’t as different from us as we thought.” The way he said this made Connor feel like Hank was reconsidering his stance on androids, or at least deviants. “You ever dealt with deviants before?”

Connor immediately thought back to Daniel on the balcony, Emma squirming and screaming in his arm. “A few months back…” was his reply. “A deviant was threatening to jump off the roof with a little girl…” Images flashed in his mind of Daniel getting shot repeatedly. He licked his lips before saying, “I managed to save her.” Something fell in the pit of Connor’s stomach, thinking about Daniel’s final words to him.

Anderson broke his thoughts with, “So, I guess you’ve done all your homework, right? Know everything there is to know about me?” He took a drink of his soda, waiting for Connor’s response.

He had considered lying but decided telling the truth would be the best answer. “I know you graduated top of your class.” When Hank didn’t protest, Connor continued. “You made a name for yourself in several cases and became the youngest lieutenant in Detroit.” Connor couldn’t help but say this with fascination and complete respect, despite his initial views of the older officer. Hank raised his brows and looked away thoughtfully. “I also know you’ve received several disciplinary warnings in recent years and…you spend a lot of time in bars.” Blue eyes cut back at him, but not with malice. There was something else that Connor couldn’t identify.

Connor began to relax when Hank smirked and asked, “So, what’s your conclusion?”

Again, the android considered stretching the truth, but decided to be honest instead. “I think working with an officer with…personal issues is an added challenge, but adapting to human unpredictability is one of my features.” Without thinking, Connor added a wink at the end of his statement, and before he could explain it away, he received a report of a deviant nearby, his eyelids fluttering. When his vision cleared, Lieutenant Anderson was staring at him, his lips slightly parted. Connor stared at his mouth for a moment before announcing, “I just got a report of a suspected deviant. It’s a few blocks away.” Connor’s eyes looked in that direction. “We should go have a look,” he added, his eyes cutting back to Hank. “I’ll let you finish your meal.” Connor began to walk away.

“Hey,” Hank called, making the brunette turn around. “Did you mean that? What you said?”

Connor was puzzled, cocking his head to one side. “I’m not sure what you mean, Lieutenant.”

Unsure of what to say, Hank paused then waved Connor away. “Never mind. I’ll be there in a minute.”

* * *

Connor was running faster than he ever had before. Even when chasing the AX400 that morning, he hadn’t used this much speed. The deviant android that called himself Rupert was fast, and Connor was bolting to try and keep up with him. That is, until he saw Hank with his gun drawn, pointed at Rupert, who then pushed him over the edge of the roof. After a quick scan, Connor determined that Hank’s chance of surviving the fall was 87%. Not good enough. He darted over, grabbing the lieutenant’s hand and yanking him back onto the building.

“Shit!” Hank shouted, falling onto his hands. “Oh shit!” He seemed angry. “We had it! Fuck!” He pushed himself up onto his feet.

“It’s my fault,” Connor blurted, feeling heat rise to his face. “I should have been faster.” Guilt overwhelmed him. He’d let another deviant run free.

Hank, catching his breath, said, “You’d have caught it if it weren’t for me…” He looked at the android with a confused, surprised expression. Connor could only stare at him, wondering what the older man was thinking. “That’s alright…” he murmured. “We know what it looks like. We’ll find it…” He said this as if to reassure Connor, who was struggling with his decision. Of course, he wanted to save the lieutenant, but he felt terrible about letting Rupert go. Anderson began to walk away, then stopped, looking back at his android partner. “Hey, Connor…” The android looked at him with wide, brown eyes, waiting to be berated. Hank paused again, then half smiled, waving his comment away. “Nothing…” With that, he turned and walked into the building. Connor felt lighter, but that sick feeling returned to his stomach.

Mission Failed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope it's not too tedious having to read summaries of the game, but I just wanted you guys to know which dialogue options I chose to lead up to where the story really begins. We should be done reviewing the events of the game by the end of the fourth chapter (I know I previously said the third, but there's a lot of information to go through). Just hang in there, you guys. It'll get more interesting soon enough.


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